Colombia: 14 tonnes of food supplies driven seven hours to El Mango

24-04-2013 Feature

El Mango is a village in the municipality of Argelia in southern Cauca, more than six hours away from Popayán, the department capital. It has suffered repeated outbreaks of fighting. In 2012, the local authorities recorded 80 incidents connected with the armed conflict in Argelia which, in addition to the municipality’s main town, also includes the village districts of El Mango, Sinaí and El Plateado.

Encircled by mountains, El Mango has only one way in and out, and the unsurfaced road is very hard going when it rains. The ICRC is the only humanitarian organization with a regular presence in this area.

In 2012, frequent outbreaks of fighting between armed groups forced the inhabitants to move several times. Many of the houses were destroyed, and the people fled in fear of their lives, taking shelter in neighbouring villages.

One such displacement occurred in July 2012. The ICRC, together with the Colombian Red Cross Cauca branch, undertook a major logistical operation, which involved driving seven trucks from Cali to deliver 14 tonnes of humanitarian aid, including food supplies, personal hygiene products and kitchen utensils for the 1,500 inhabitants of El Mango. The displaced people also received tiles and other materials to repair their homes, the school and two community halls damaged as a result of the fighting.